NHRC pushes for better care for eye injuries

In an important development in the area of eye care, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), headed by Mr. Justice Arun Mishra, has issued an advisory to the Union Government, States and Union Territories to take steps to prevent and minimise the impact of eye injuries and to ensure appropriate standardised treatment and rehabilitation of victims. 

Eye injuries are estimated to account for about five percent of irreversible or permanent blindness. Major contributors of eye injury are road accidents (34%), sports (29%) and occupations (21%). However, it is also a preventable cause of blindness.

The advisory follows an Open House Discussion hosted by NHRC on September 21 here to deliberate on how to “prevent , minimise and mitigate Ocular Trauma”. Eminent experts from India and abroad participated. It comes just ahead of the annual World Sight Day on October 13. The day is celebrated on the second Thursday of October. This year’s theme is love your eyes. 

The Commission, among several important recommendations, has stressed the need to identify the industries having high potential of eye injuries and other industrial accidents and make it mandatory for all such industries employing fifty workers and more to purchase personal accident cover of minimum Rs. 15 lakh for each worker and to establish a special fund to provide financial assistance to the victims. 

The Advisory has focused on five key areas for action by the Centre, States and UT Administrations - creation of a database on eye injuries; their prevention and minimization; treatment; and development of integrated ophthalmic trauma units and rehabilitation of victims.

Some of the other important recommendations are: establishment of an online web-based portal to record details of each case of ocular trauma;  making every single case of eye injury notifiable across the country with appropriate  rule/ regulation/ guidelines; and involvement of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) workers and school teachers to identify the victims, counsel them to avail treatment and upload details of such victims on the online portal. 

The advisory also calls for ban on fire-crackers,  and toys having sharp edges with a potential to cause eye injuries; examination of laws providing for mandatory use of eye safety gear by workers engaged in activities having potential to cause eye injuries; promotion of clean fuel and well ventilated kitchen to prevent eye damage to persons engaged in cooking at homes, restaurants and community kitchens. 

Besides, it stresses creation of a post of ophthalmologist in each community health centre and increasing the number of posts of ophthalmologists in district hospitals, medical colleges, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and other specialty health care centres; and sponsoring of research to facilitate development of low cost eye care technologies. 

Sunder/NHRC/EYE/12/10/2022

A new centre of excellence to address cybersecurity issues in power transmission systems 

New Delhi, October 06: Cybersecurity in transmission and grid operations in the power sector is critical in today’s digital era. Development of robust defences against cybersecurity is of paramount importance in maintaining reliable power supply. Continuous and collaborative research involving academia and industry for development of cyber resilient systems as well as capacity building is the need of the hour towards creating a safe and secure grid. 

Recognising this, Power Grid Corporation of India (POWERGRID), which is the largest transmission utility of the country, has joined hands with the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the the Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID) at IISc to set up a think tank. 

Named POWERGRID Centre of Excellence in Cybersecurity in Power Transmission and Grid Operation, the facility will be a nodal centre where cybersecurity experts from academia, national R&D labs, and the industry will work together to address cybersecurity concerns related to power grids. 

Mr K Sreekant, CMD of POWERGRID said, “ POWERGRID is committed to provide funding to the extent of Rs 119.02 crores over the next 10 years and also depute its industry experts to this centre to bolster research in this area.” 

 

“At IISc, our objective is to work with the industry to deliver cutting-edge research that can solve imminent problems for the industry. We are thankful for the support from POWERGRID to establish this Centre of Excellence in an area that is of critical interest to the entire nation,” said Prof Govindan Rangarajan, Director, IISc.